What's Happening Today - Nov. 20

All is going very well. Lots of planning going on as we wrap up work here at the 9° 50'N site in the next few days and turn our attention to the site near 9° 28-29'N where there is an area of extensive lava flows that seem to extend west from the axial trough. More on this in the coming days. Tonight's going to be busy with hauling in the DSL-120A sonar and then testing the deep sea camera system. Tomorrow morning before breakfast we will pick up ABE after Dive #56.

Big News Today: John Cawley and Tim Shank (silent partner with me on this week's Atlantis Football Card) won this week's football pool. Who is Tim? He's a scientist at WHOI (Tim studies hydrothermal vent biology), and close friend and colleague of mine who knows football. He's my A#1 football guru and he picked the winners on my card - "I'll give you your share Tim when I see you in a few weeks!"

Other Big News: Christina Courcier beat me in our ping-pong quarter finals match - Way to Go Christina!

Best Regards,

Dan Fornari

Dana Yoerger (left) and Dan Fornari (far right) holding the symbolic 'cord' as Al Bradley cuts it. We've left ABE alone to survey on the East Pacific Rise crest for nearly 20 hours - this is a record. It's been hard for Al and Dana - two of ABE's inventors ( and Barrie Walden, the head of WHOI's Deep Submergence Group, who is the other inventor) to let ABE's "leash" go. It's a momentus step and, like proud parents, we're full of high expectations for ABE in the future.

Dan Fornari (left) and Andy Billings working on the camera system we hope to test tonight so that we can get photos of the seafloor lava flows we've been mapping with the DSL-120A sonar. The orange box houses a deep sea battery (24VDC) made by Deep Sea Power & Light of San Diego, California.

Paul Johnson taking a fishing break.

Anthony Tarrantino, one of the Alvin Group's electrical technicians (left) and Al Duester, of the ABE Group, working on the digital deep sea camera system today in the Main Lab.

Maurice Tivey (left), Dan Fornari (middle) and Hans Schouten reviewing the sonar data in the Computer Lab and planning the next ABE dives and sonar surveys.

The rock dredge (foreground) and the camera frame on the fantail of R/V Atlantis.

Dana Yoerger (left) and Rod Catanach of the ABE Group discussing ABE's terrific performance on the last dive.

Uriel Carpenter, an Ordinary Seaman, clearing the drains on the starboard side of the ship this afternoon.

Dan Fornari (left - standing in for Tim Shank) and John Cawley sharing this week's football pool.